oproleplayingfandomcom-20200214-history
Reigniting Ice
Click, click, click. The rapid pitter patter of a computer keyboard echoed through a dark room, somewhere within Punk Hazard. The only light visible, being those of several screens that were aligned side by side. The typing increased aggressively, and the fingers that were causing these hands, belonging to a certain scientist, moved like a skilled pianist’s fingers playing a complicated Sonata. "There’s not much time left, no there isn’t!" screamed the man as his typing pace dropped. He had continued typing, albeit with one hand, while he looked around the obscure lab for something, his free hand reaching to various gadgets which he quickly threw away like a kid with his old toys. "Ah, I have found it!" Suddenly, he grabbed a Den Den Mushi, placing it next to his keyboard, as he continued to wander in the darkness, looking for something of relative importance, as it had caused him to act in such anxious manners. "ZAHAHA, it is here!" he declared once more, grabbing a wrinkled, almost torn piece of paper. The scientist felt his entire body shake, as he grabbed the Den Den Mushi, specifically a Cameko and pressed its shell, its eyes flashing at the screen. When day passes and night comes. The Grim Reaper must collect his dues. Whether he has to reach the cold or hot lands or perhaps both, does not matter. If he does not, then his world might be turned upside down. For even the Grim Reaper holds secrets that might drag him down. He nervously dialed in a number into it, and pressed its shell once more. Send. "I hope that’s the right one….I hope indeed." For the first time his voice had grown quiet, and he appeared to be relaxed, but not for long as he hurriedly shut down the screens by pressing a button on his keyboard. Quickly, he walked across the room, various objects clanging against his figure as he did so. The sound of a door creaking could be heard, before it was slammed with force. The scientist disappeared into the darkness. Peril Awaits "Yes, Alistair-sama, I’m almost getting there." She paused, for a second, listening intently to the Den Den Mushi. Her gaze dropped to the wooden floors of her boat, as she brought her palm to her face. "No…I’m afraid I cannot confirm whether I can send you the heads of our enemies. I do not know if I will encounter them." Click Al Khalifa Ain sighed deeply as she ran her hand through her ebony hair. She carefully placed the Den Den Mushi in her pocket, before looking forward. She could make out the Ice Lands of from afar, and gulped loudly. She had been asked by Crowley Alistair to investigate the early New World Island, to see if she could find any possible resources, or perhaps even gain control of the territory for the Notch. Though, the latter was quite farfetched. Its living conditions had been unknown for the last 50 years, and whether any life form inhabited the island was unconfirmed. She worried. Although her exterior, showed her stoic nature, she wondered inside whether she would be able to bring some good news to the suffering Pirate crew. And these thoughts flooded her mind until the cold of Punk Hazard infested her, bringing her back to reality. Icebergs filled her visage, as she prepared herself to anchor the small caravel to the island’s somewhat functional port. With skills akin to those of a skilled helmsman or navigator, Ain pulled a rope from the side of her ship before launching it forward by thrusting her arms. The anchor landed precisely in one of the port’s legs and as she approached the island she proceeded to tie a knot in the rope, making sure her ship remained steady. "I reckon this should be good enough." She told herself, jumping from the ship to the wooden planks of the port. She tapped it with her foot, slightly preoccupied with the creaking sound it made. Regardless, she shrugged it off, and made her way into the island. ---- The breeze was blowing slightly, the waters were calm. The Shinigami sailed at a slow pace, the Reaper Pirates's airship. It had it's thrusters damaged in the previous battle, as such, they required the use of the wind and it's paddles to sail forward. Given the ruckus they caused on Negrsneg Island more than a week ago, they've been constantly under heavy Marine fire. Umori Kenshiro even had to disperse his crew, in various ships which were made to resemble their flagship, in order to confuse the enemy. This was due to the aid of one of his crew members. However, he didn't enjoy the idea of having his crew that divided, as he had done in the past, and suffered for it. He probably wouldn't be in the state he's in, caused by the unexpected appearance of a certain, blonde mercenary about a month ago. Kenshiro was standing on the deck of his ship. Admiring the waves and letting the breeze massage his face. The black coat he normally wore was covering more of the left side of his body, hiding his left arm, and revealing more of his right one. He seemed like he had a lot on his mind. He opened his right palm, and stared at it, almost in disgust. "I'm...so...weak!", he thought to himself in frustration. With that same right hand, he drew his sword, and with an underhanded grip, he slashed forward towards the sea, releasing a massively powerful slash that parted the water as it shot through. "Tch...not enough." He said, now in his speaking voice. "This body, is much weaker than-" "Birubirubirubiru!" He was cut off by the sudden ringing of his personal den den mushi. However, it rang with a different tone, one set for when a message was received. Kenshiro withdrew his sword, and walked into his cabin. Picking up the snail phone, it answered in a strange code. "258C". Kenshiro raised his eyebrows, and went to one of his desk's drawers, and pulled out a notebook. He searched for those numbers, and there it was. In the notebook he had written and marked with serial numbers several people with deals to be completed, among other things. Sometimes, the number was for him to search in his inventory, an item or something that would connect him to the person in question, which was the case for this one. He walked over to a large closet, and searched the item that connected him to the number. It was a glass cube, with a Vivre Card on the inside. It had the name Sherman written on it. In that moment, his troublesome thoughts went away, as he felt this sudden message couldn't have come at a better time. An old colleague was making contact with him. The curiosity intrigued him. "BOOM!" The Shinigami was shaken abruptly, as Kenshiro grabbed hold of a wall, to keep his balance. The sound of cannon fire was heard. "Captain!! It's the Marines! They caught up to us again!" From outside, the crew's navigator, Kaname Dimaria yelled as she directed the few members of the crew for evasive action. Kenshiro walked outside, with the glass cube on his hand. "How many?" "There! on our port side, three battleships." Kenshiro handed the glass cube to Dimaria, much to her confusion. "I'm sick of this. Follow that Vivre Card. Set a course to ". "B-But, what about the battleships, our weapons don't work properly!", exclaimed Dimaria, preocuppied at her captain's seemingly lack of interest at their predicament. "What battleships?", he answered. He walked forward, and from his body, his Avatar, Asura-Deva came forth in its full form. "I only have water and wind to supplement this, but I think it'll be enough." A second later, he released part of Asauchi, another avatar, but it quickly merged into Asura-Deva, forming the even larger, more terrifying "Asurauchi". Asurauchi's left head absorbed water from the sea, the right head absorbed wind, and the middle one, was chargin up Kenshiro's own life energy. The three elements merged into one in the middle, compressing into a dense sphere, and with a powerful sonic boom, it released forward, parting the sea and air on its way as it reached the battleships. It was weaker than when he used the technique previously, against Cain D. Abel, and managed to bruise the powerful behemoth of a man, even though he had reinforced himself with dense Busoshoku and his devil fruit. Nonetheless, this one still carried with it devastating power, as the slightest contact with the first ship split it open in two. Asurauchi tilted its heads, to do the same to the other two battleships, completely and utterly destroying them. Dimaria ghasped, as she realized her captain had gotten even more used to the advanced applications of his devil fruit. "In just a short time, and even while weakened, he has managed to grow this much. You're terrifying, captain Kenny." The avatar retreated to Kenshiro's body. He turned to face Dimaria. "Let's make haste, shall we?", he said to her with a smile. "Y-Yes!" He went to his cabin and sat down, and began reminiscing about the past. It was around mid-day, when the Shinigami had reached the elusive island of Punk Hazard, about a day and a half later. Dimaria had put on her coat, as the freezing temperatures encompassed them. Kenshiro, being told they had arrived, walk towards the deck, with his typical attire. "Kenny! Put on a coat, it's cold!" Dimaria exclaimed concerned. "It's not cold. Well then, I'm heading out." "Not by yourself you're not!" "EEEH!?" Kenshiro glared weirdly at Dimaria. "YOU HEARD ME! You're not...well, at 100%. You can't go alone! We've been being followed relentlessly by the Marines for the things we've done, what if this is a trap?!" "If it's a trap, I can deal with it!", Kenshiro exclaimed, frowning. He jumped from the ship and landed into the icy ground. He noticed another ship was docked there, but didn't think much of it. "No...no...NO!! Otto. Go with Kenny!! Make sure he doesn't do something he shouldn't!" "UUuhgg"...Kenshiro complained as he started walking forward, not even waiting for his comrades to join him. Otto, being a dog, joyfully trotted behind Kenshiro. However, with every step the pup took, he left a dent in the floor he stood on. Being near the dog made the temperature rise drastically; both literally and figuratively. "Woof!" he barked, as if scolding Kenshiro for his immature behaviour. Ain walked through the cold, deep snow. Her boots digging into the white sand with every step she took. Every time she breathed, small puffs formed, signaling the temperature she was in. Her visage could gaze at nothing but mountains and land covered in white. She continued to walk for a while, the only sound audible being that of the cold wind blowing against her face, which she showed no reaction too. There is nothing to see here yet. She came to a halt, moving her head from side to side as she examined the land she was in. No people. No buildings. No animals… she brought her hand to her chin, caressing it as she analyzed her situation. “To keep walking seems pointless. What to do? What to do?” Ain wondered, her eyes squinting, until an idea hit her. "Ah! Perhaps I should draw attention to myself? If any Haki users were here, I guess they’d be near me…" There was nobody to respond, so she nodded to her own words, as she relaxed her body. Taking a deep breath in, and then letting out as notable gusts of cold wind, the temperature around Ain would begin rise immensely, despite the weather. Flames began to escape from the pores of her skin as it completely engulfed her. With a swipe of her arms to the side, the flames formed into a noticeable pillar, that at least, all of those in the Cold Lands, should’ve been able to notice. Slowly, the fire dissipated, until there was nothing but cinders left. Now, I await "Tch! Fine Otto, don't keep yapping at me. I know, I know..." Kenshiro talked with his 12 inch tall companion as the walked through the snow, both seemingly unafected by the cold. "Uuh...I forgot which way the lab was supposed to be. With all this snow, I guess I could just-" A sudden light flared in the distance. A massive fiery pillar reached to the sky, illuminating the mountains below. Kenshiro looked at Otto, who was just wagging its tail. "Heh, wanna go to where the massive pillar of death just randomly and mysteriously appeared?" With a bark, Otto approved, and Kenshiro grabbed the pup under his right arm, and launched himself into the sky, using Geppo to reach his destination. A moment later they arrived, and below them they caught a glimpse of a woman, surrounded by the burnt ground. "Oh?" Kenshiro landed on the ground, and carefully placed Otto on it as well. He stood there, his eyes shadowed by his greenish hat. The icy winds flapped his black coat around. He rested his right hand on his sword, which was on his right hip. Slowly he lifted his head, revealing only one eye from below the hat's shadow. "Could she be related to the message Sherman sent? I better not mention it yet..." He walked forward, his sandals sunk slightly into the snow, his demeanor now serious, not threatening, but with his guard up. "Tell me, young woman, what business does the Notch Pirates have on this island... Al Khalifa Ain?" Within an instant, Ain noticed as Kenshiro approached her location, as he jumped great heights before landing near her. Without turning around, she gazed at the man from the corner of her eye. The snow dispersed as he fell to the ground, his shoes, much like Ain’s own, slightly sinking into the land. Upon hearing his voice, she turned around, albeit relaxed yet ready to react upon a moment’s notice, as he faced him, her eyes, as cold as the wind that brushed her hair. Flickering between the man, and his pet, who Ain didn’t bother thinking about much. "If you know my name, then you know what it is I do. I have come to explore these desolated lands." she stated, without problem. Ain had no issue with demonstrating her motives, even to strangers, she figured it wouldn’t change her objective if someone interfered anyways. "What about you, man in the green hat? What is your relation to this place?" Otto squiggled out of Kenshiro's arms, plopping onto the ground below. The dog barked at Kenshiro, as if he was annoyed that he had been grabbed so suddenly. Otto trotted over to Ain, sniffing her. The pup sneezed, not liking her smell. As he made his way back to Kenshiro's side, the canine wagged its tail in a specific pattern, informing Kenshiro that Ain's smell had been "spicy". Kenshiro kneeled, and patted Otto in the head. "Oh, really?...hmm." He stood up, and held his hat with his right hand, preventing the cold winds from blowing it away. "I see...You also don't know who I am, this simplifies things a little," he said to himself, though Ain would've heard him. "I'm here for a similar purpose, I have to check on some stuff. But I'm afraid to tell you, these lands don't hold anything of value to someone like you. I'd know, I worked here in the past. I suggest you return from where you came from, pirate." He said as he glared at her with a single eye visible from under his hat. He stood firm, yet calm. Unwavering even at the sight of the woman, who was recognized as one of the rising Super Rookies. Ain’s cold gaze remained on Kenshiro’s own, and for a moment, nothing except the occasional huffing of the man’s pup or the wind could be heard. Her lips curved slightly, for some reason, she found the duo amusing. "I’ll decide that for myself, Mr…?" A long pause followed, as she waited for the man to introduce himself. Even if he gave a fake name, she merely requested to refer to the man through a name. Doing otherwise would be discourteous, and she was anything but that, even to potential enemies. "Oh!", Kenshiro scoffed. "Silly me, my apologies. My name is Umori Kenshiro. I'm a pirate, just like yourself." He looked around, but saw nor detected anyone else. Ain was completely by herself. "Well, I must ask then, why did you shoot that signal in the sky? You looking to see if someone responded?..." Kenshiro chuckled a bit. "Honestly, that took me by surprise!..." He pondered a bit as he analyzed the woman before him. He did not know her true intentions, but that made it all the more interesting, so he took a gamble. "You can answer while we walk. I actually am supposed to be someplace else, so, If you wish, you can come with us, and see what this island has in store. I can give you an exclusive tour," he said with a devilish grin on his face. Otto yapped in agreement, his tail wagging excitedly behind him. Ain continued to look at the man, her eyes flickering from the dog to Kenshiro. She relaxed herself, her hand now resting on the hilt of her blade, a posture she was all too accustomed too. "Correct, I was hoping I could meet someone. And as luck would have it, I’ve met you and you-" the land below them began to shake weakly. Ain turned around, as the ice mountains that surrounded them began to vigorously shake too. Ain felt her entire body tremble, making her grasp the hilt of her blade tightly. This was soon followed by a loud, drum-like pattern of trotting. Not unlike an army’s march. The sound grew louder and louder until ti was made visible. From afar, Ain’s red orbs could make out what appeared to be a stampede approaching by the second. The thundering noise their steps made as she would then realize that their upper bodies were human, while their lower bodies were animalistic. Though she had no time to analyze them properly as they aimed to shred apart anything that stood in their paths, literally. Bending down so that her hips were parallel with the floor, Ain pushed her heels down on the snow and exploded upwards, reaching heights that most could only reach with Geppo in a single jump. Once in the air she looked downward, at least two dozens of what she could only describe as centaurs covered the ground. Swiftly, she landed on a nearby hill, from where she looked down to see if she could spot Kenshiro, hoping that he too and his dog, had escaped. Kenshiro followed Ain with his gaze as she leaped to safety. He continued lifting his head, looking at the sky, as if he had no care in the world. "It's okay Otto. Let me deal with this." Kenshiro placed his right hand on his hat, pushing it a bit more into his head, his eyes now obscured completely. The chilly winds blew through them, and the ground trembled by the incoming stampede. Yet, Kenshiro stood still, not budging an inch. He slightly smirked at Otto as he lifted his head, only revealing one eye, directed at the centaurs with a cold, intense stare. Suddenly, the wind would cease to blow, and silence would permeate the area. Even the sound of such a stampede would feel as a faraway noise to those nearby. An intense chill would go down everyone's spine, as a short, yet powerful burst of purple aura was released from Kenshiro's body, directed at the centaurs specifically, however, it would reach Ain ever so slightly, creeping under her skin, and imposing unto her own will. Even if Kenshiro tried to hide it, it still could be felt, that ominous, sinister feeling of bloodlust and dread his Haoshoku was composed of. However his intentions were non-violent, for the time being, as he merely would try and force them into a calmed state. "Stand...DOWN!", he exclaimed to the centaurs, his aura imposing into their hybrid bodies. He would stand with his palm resting on his sword's hilt, a precautionary action. At Kenshiro’s display of Haoshoku, which commanded the entire atmosphere and everything that it was comprised of to submit to his will, the Centaurs came to an abrupt stop. The profound sound of their hooves clacking against the snow-ridden floor halting too. They laid there, as if awaiting for furthers instructions, their eyes lacking vitality as most, if not all of them stared forward. Were they….scared of Kenshiro? From the unmoving pack, the loud sound of someone stepping on the snow could be heard along with the chilly gusts of wind that continue to blow in their vicinity. "Why have you stopped, why?!" A voice followed, and it was one Kenshiro might’ve recognized. If he didn’t he soon would, as the person who spoke would come into sight. Moving through the many centaurs that stood still, with utmost care, as if not to disturb them. "Oh?! Kenshiro! You came? You came haven’t you?!" Isaac Sherman did not contain his excitement as made evident by his tone. His appearance had changed, since the last time they had met. His short blue hair had grown unusually long, his skin was slightly paler and he wore a cloak and simple, baggy pants as well as boots. All in all, he looked no different than the Centaurs, or any other wild animal that lived in Punk Hazard. His attire was unusual, or at least that’s what Ain thought as she examined the man. She had remained almost entirely neutral as Kenshiro released his Haoshoku, even though she felt a chill run down her spine, she would not let it show. A cold drip of sweat ran from the back of her head to her neck. Soon after, the mysterious man had appeared, and she decided to analyze the scene further. Was this man an ally? Did he have any information for Ain? There were a lot of questions, that would have to be answered later. Kenshiro's aura retreated as he heard the familiar voice. "Sherman! Yes, it is me, in the flesh." He walked closer to the weirdly dressed man. "It has been a while. You haven't changed- na who am I kidding, you look totally different. What have you been up to?" As he looked at Sherman, Kenshiro's eyes slowly shifted upwards towards Ain. "Hmm, did you invite her, as well?" "ZAHAHAHA, let's just say I have adapted, yes, I have adapted." Sherman repeated, an odd habit he had developed even before his days as a scientist. He then looked at the pirate who looked up to them from above. He shivered, not because of the cold but because of her intimidating stare. "No, I did not." he leaned in closer as he whispered to Kenshiro, looking at the woman out of the corner of his eye. Crunch. Ain landed on the piles of snow, causing it to disperse in all directions. Without even opening her mouth, she stared at the duo, but more specifically at the man who just appeared. "You have a lot to explain. Dr. Sherman." "BUT, she can join us, yes she can! Come this way, I will take you to my lab, zaha! The more, the merrier." Warily, Ain followed the man, shooting a glance at Kenshiro. She didn't trust either of them, but this would have to do, for now. Old Acquaintances, New Enemies Navigating through the chilly waters of Punk Hazard at a slow pace, trying to effectively dodge the myriads of icebergs plaguing the sea, a Marine Battleship sailed through, carrying quite some formidable soldiers. However, this was not a mission commanded by HQ, it was a hunch, or a whim that a certain Vice Admiral felt on his gut. "Vice Admiral. Are you sure this is something we should be looking into?", asked a Marine soldier. "We intercepted a strange code. Our team determined it came from the lab here at this island. We couldn't decipher what the code meant, so that's why we're here. Why would that crazy scientist send something like that, instead of contacting us directly?..." he continued. "Simple, because it was meant for someone specific. And we need to know who. We've never trusted that "quack", and this, this smells like something quite out of the ordinary, even for him." Vice Admiral Enkiru Julius stood in the ship's deck with a mighty presence to him, as he addressed the soldiers. They nodded in unison, they knew it would be best to not go against their leader's intuition, after all, it's never failed him before. "There it is, Vice Admiral. We've reached the bay!" "Excellent. Prepare to disembark. Bring your weapons, and some kairoseki nets. Better be prepared for the worst..." “Hyaahhh!” Black Anysia screamed as she raised her fist in the air, standing to the side of her superior, Julius. She threw on her coat and flung back her gorgeous purple hair, the sheen of it reflected back on her beautiful ebony skin. She stood with confidence as the marines rallied to the top deck, guns in hand and swords on their waists, all ready to dismount and combat the scourge that the seas call pirates. “Ready when you are, Julius!” Anysia yelled to the y’all man she stood next too, looking off into the distance at the treacherous location known as Punk Hazard. Julius smirked slightly at the sight of his subordinate's excitement. Young, hot blooded, but with incredible potential, Julius seemed to have a keen eye for this sorts of young prospects, after all, he had trained quite a few for over twenty years. The Vice Admiral stood on the ship, as the ship's ramp began to lower itself, which he used to step down of the ship, and motioned his crew to follow. "Hmpf!", Julius simply scoffed as he walked down. The cold breeze of Punk Hazard blew fiercely into their bodies, yet Julius remained stoic, not even wearing a winter coat. He squinted his eye, as he scanned the area, slowly turning his head left and right. "Why hasn't that crazy quack not come to greet us? Something is not right...Tell me, Anysia, what does your hunch tell you?" “Hmmm” Anysia shut her eyes as they stood on the ground of the chilly wasteland known as Punk Hazard, she sensed presences other than her own, they stood it to far from herself and Julius, she felt that they would be greeting the pair soon enough. “Maybe they’re just a bit late! Why not meet ‘em half way then?” Anysia responded stoically, clashing her fists together as she spoke, cracking her knuckles as she went off into Punk Hazard, soon to see who was waiting for her. "Yes, let's go." Julius motioned the Marines to follow Anysia's directions, after all, she had to be groomed to become quite a leader herself. Julius scanned the area with his eye, squinting at the distance. "It seems the presences on their way are quite formidable. Do not engage until I give the order." "Right!" exclaimed the Marine unit. At least a hundred and something soldiers accompanied the higher ranked Marines, as they walked deeper inland. “Right!” Anysia exclaimed alongside the rest of the marine unit, speaking in a hushed tone as they approached inland and the enemy presences drew closer and larger. Anysia’s senses would heighten as she approached deeper and deeper inland, her eyes growing almost slit like as she kept up her guard, the aura the enemies out of being far more than formidable. ---- All throughout their walk, Ain had remained silent. Her expression as blank as always, even when, after about 40 minutes of walking, they reached their destination. The lab was nothing unusual, from outside, it appeared to be a sizable building, with several chimneys sticking out from the top. The metal it was made of appeared to be rusty, and chunks of ice had attached itself to the building. It was nothing like the previous scientific institutes that Ain had heard of. This, in comparison was…minuscule and quite frankly - a joke. "Welcome to Research Institute-4! 4, yes!" Sherman stated, pointing at the building as he took the lead. "Now, I know it isn’t the best place there is, but, I did what I could with what the government gave me. They don’t really like funding anything that happens here." As they approached the entrance of the base, Sherman inputed several digits on a small keypad, causing the metallic door to open. He indulged Ain and Kenshiro to walk in, before he closed the door. The room itself was covered in darkness, but after much fumbling, Sherman managed to click on a switch, allowing the trio to see under the light. The room was spacious, and was covered by many gadgets and weapons as well as strange liquids in veils and even several animal furs could be seen. There were no tables, except for a big screen and a chair, where it could be assumed was where Sherman wanted to stay. "Alright, now that we’re here, do you have any questions?" On their way to the lab, Kenshiro had engaged in small talk with Sherman, but didn't bother to include Ain in the conversation. Finally reaching the lab, Kenshiro looked around, curious and interested as to what Sherman was doing here. He glanced at Otto to see how the puppy was feeling, and walked towards some gadgets to look at them closer. Once Sherman asked the question, Kenshiro turned serious, and everyone else could feel it. "Questions, you say? Yes, quite." He walked closer and stood face to face with Sherman. "How about, why did you call for me after all this time, why am I here?...WHY is SHE here?!" He turned his back to them, and walked towards the screen. "You should've heard, Sherman-kun, that I'm no longer in the Marines. I am a wanted pirate, and she is too. You said you're still affiliated with the Government, no? Then, again. Why are we here?" He glared at Sherman intensely. "You're not one to take risks for no reason, old friend. So speak up. What is this all about? My companion here is getting uneasy, and even I can't control him if he goes out of control," he said while pointing at Otto. “Err…well…” Sherman played with his fingers as he tried to turn his thoughts into words. “You might’ve noticed before. Those centaurs? I was trying to make them leave for a reason, for a reason, yes.” His finger-playing turned into incessant tapping with his foot, which resounded throughout the entire room. Sherman walked towards the gigantic screen. Sitting down on his black, leather chair, he pressed a couple of buttons and after a while, the screen showed a live image of a burning, almost unrecognizable landscape, due to the smoke. "This right here…this is the Burning Lands. Creatures live there…ifrits! Ifrits, yes. And they are..well…they are overpowering the Ice Lands here. Their flames are growing stronger, and they have harmed many of the centaurs that lived here with me!" His voice grew louder, and he flailed his arms about. "Ifrits, you say…" Ain opened her right palm, flames emanating from it. "Y-yes." Sherman looked at the woman, surprised at her showing. “There is someone controlling them, controlling them indeed! But I can’t fight them by myself. Last time, I tried…I nearly died. And somehow, Kenshiro, I feel like this has to do with one of ‘’them’’. One of the Three Great powers is definitely behind this, I can feel it! I am done working with the Government. I should’ve left when you did Kenshiro! Yes, I should’ve. They sent me here to get rid of me, whilst simultaneously, getting rid of any of the Pirates that come here! As of this moment, I resign!” He stated quite loudly. Scratching the top of his head, Sherman hunched, and his flickered all across the room. "A-anyways, that is why I called you here, as for her…I do not know why she is here, but help is always appreciated?" "I have no qualms with assisting you." Ain said her expression still unchanged. “However, let me be clear. I have come here to conquer Punk Hazard for the Notch. That is my intention." Kenshiro squinted his eyes at Sherman. Yes, he knew the situation must be quite terrible, for Sherman to have called him out of the blue. But, even if he didn't owe a favor to the crazy scientist, he would've assisted, for old times sake, and for the opportunity of seeing those rare, fire giants up close. He nodded at Sherman, letting him know he was on board with helping him in whatever he needed. However, something else required his immediate attention right at this moment. He took his hat off of his head, and wiped some snow it still had on it. "Oh...How troublesome this is. Ifrits, and this one wanting to conquer Punk Hazard. Hmm...no. Something doesn't sit right." He lowered himself, petting Otto on its head. "I've been meaning to find a base of operations for my ever expanding crew, and my organization. It's been getting quite difficult to keep a clone and cyborg army on air ships." He stood up straight again, and put on his hat. "Sherman. I'll deal with your little problem. And...I can also deal with her. You tell me if you prefer me to do so now, or later. Because...I'm taking Punk Hazard for myself!" Kenshiro glared intensely at Ain, though he didn't release any of his aura nor intent. "I suppose you'd have no problems with that, right, Sherman? After all, you're abandoning the government. You might as well ally with an old friend..." "I-I..." Sherman took a few steps back from the duo. In a single instant, the tension in the room had grown immensely. He looked at Kenshiro and then at Ain, as his entire body tensed up. Sherman gulped loudly before he managed to make out a sentence. "I think we'll need all the help we can get, Kenshiro. Our opponents are not easy, no they're not! As for who gets Punk Hazard..." The room grew silent for a while as Sherman scratched his chin, sweat dripping down his temples. "If we don't defeat whoever's behind the Ifrits, it won't belong to any-" Sherman put his hand on his ear, as he placed his finger on his lips as if shushing Kenshiro and Ain, despite the fact that neither of them were speaking. "Do you lot feel that? Someone else is here!" Kenshiro squinted at Sherman, and turned his head to face the lab's entrance. But his eyes weren't focused on the door itself, instead, he searched further. Though he was disappointed, he had wanted to see how the rookie pirate would react, but more pressing matters required his attention. "Hmm...we do have some visitors. Doesn't seem like it's these Ifrits you were talking about." Kenshiro glanced at Otto, and later at Ain. "What do you say we greet our guests, Ain-kun?" With a smirk on his face, he closed his eyes, hoping his taunt worked on the pirate, as he wanted to witness her abilities, to determine if she was truly worth the attention. Ain was the first to leave the lab, on her way out, she stopped at the door, turning to face Kenshiro. "Let's see who's deserving of Punk Hazard" a smirk filled her lips as she disappeared, and the trio followed. ... Utilizing their Kenbunshoku and just plain ability to sense their opponents, Ain, Sherman and Kenshiro had made their way to where they had initially met. It was apparent that the Marines did not want to remain hidden, yet they did not greet them just yet. They stood over a cliff, watching the entire squadron from above. Ain, once again wanted to head straight into action but before she could jump was stopped by Sherman's hand. "W-wait! W-we don't have a plan? A plan?! We can't just waltz in there!" Standing besides Otto, Kenshiro glanced down at the marines far below, noticing a face he recognized. "Sherman is right, and especially with that fellow over there...Damn. This is getting very interesting." Slightly moving his head, he faced Sherman and Ain, and pointed his finger at Julius and Anysia. "Those two are strong. That man, is Enkiru Julius, and while I haven't seen him in combat, they say he's in a league of his own. Him being here screws up a lot of things..." "However..." Kenshiro tapped Sherman in the back hard enough to force him to fall down the cliff and in front of the Marines. A snowy gust of wind surrounded them and the cliff, hiding their identity from the Marines. Somehow, this was Kenshiro's doing, forcing the air and snow to envelop them and hide them from view. He knew well their aura's couldn't be hidden, but he wanted to see what Sherman was capable of. "AAAHHHHH." Sherman screamed as he flailed his arms and legs about helplessly before falling. Luckily, the snow cushioned his fall, and his figure launched several inches of snow flying around him. "They’ve spotted us anyways, no use staying here." Ain looked at Kenshiro, and then at the falling Sherman, her eyes widening ever so slightly as she saw the man smirk. Without much hesitation, she jumped through the gust of wind, landing next to the loud scientist. In comparison to the man’s entrance, Ain had landed effortlessly, and she stared down at the two Marines, quickly analyzing each. Slowly, Sherman rose from the ground, revealing the mark his body had made on the snow. He brushed the grainy, white substance off of his being before realizing Ain was next to him, and that a Vice Admiral, as well as another high-ranking official, lay in front. He gulped audibly, his entire body tensing up. “I told you they’d meet us half way!” Anysia said to Julius, face to face with Ain, seemingly unbothered by the trembling man, especially by the side of Julius. “So, I guess this is where we ask you to come with us or else...!” Anysia remarked in a jokingly deep and commanding voice. “But, I’d advise against giving up, that would be no fun, and I’m just gonna leave the paperwork to Julius or one of the marines behind me anyways.” Anysia said, shrugging her shoulders as she’d still peer at Ain, her senses just as alert. "Hmpf", Julius scoffed to his subordinate. "Easy, Anysia. Let's hear them first. You can have fun if I don't like their answer," The muscular man directed his eye towards Sherman, and briefly towards Ain. He stood firmly, with arms crossed, oozing off an intimidating presence. "Sherman, so you're still alive...Then I need you to answer two questions for me. Firstly, we intercepted a strange, encoded message coming from this island. Care to explain?" Flexing his muscles slightly, he pointed a finger towards Ain, his eye followed. "Secondly, I hope you have a good explanation as to why a Super Rookie is standing right besides you. If not, Anysia over here will not hesitate to claw your face out, mr. scientist..." "Errr..." Sherman's gaze flickered all over the place before finally settling on Ain. He looked at her hard, squinting his eyes, almost as if she supported him in some weird, inexplicable manner. "T-that message was for my old colleague, Kenshiro-san!" he paused, gulping so hard that he was sure the entire marine platoon heard it. "I...I would have no problem with you clawing my face out Ms. Anysia! Punk Hazard has suffered enough, and with these two by my side, we'll stop it." he exclaimed loudly, tightening his fists. He was prepared to fight. Ain looked at the man, a small smile forming on her lips. At least he had some courage. Tilting her head upwards, her eyes were set on the cliff they had fallen from. "Mr. Kenshiro, I'm afraid that if you don't come down, I'll take that as a sign that Punk Hazard is mine." she said softly, grinning. A loud sigh was heard being released from the Vice Admiral. "I really hoped it weren't so, Mr. Sherman. So this is a rebellion then?..." With his arms still crossed, he turned his head towards Ain's direction. "You could have one, two, or the entire Super Rookie generation backing you up...it won't matter at the end." As he spoke, the Marine unit took up arms, preparing themselves for battle. "You're just specks of dust in the air in my eyes..." Julius said with a serious tone as he lowered his head down. How many rookies, super rookies, revolutionaries, and veteran pirates he had slain during his career as a warrior of the sea that spans more than three decades? It was too many to count. For him, if he would slay these criminals here, he'd forget their faces by tomorrow, unless they managed to cause an impression of him. "Ha! Prepare yourselves you scum!", exclaimed a Marine soldier. "Vice Admiral Julius has even cornered the mad woman, "Crimson Queen" Silvenya multiple times! You lot don't stand a chance!" "HUUUUOOOOH!" exclaimed the rest of the unit, their morale and determination at high levels given they had the legendary Marine on their side. "Don't count me out just yet, Ain..." A voice seemed to come from right in the middle of the Marine platoon. "WHAT THE?!!", exclaimed the soldiers, as they looked in shock at the man that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, his presence unnoticed until he spoke. Julius didn't bother to turn his head. "Now you guys have done it, this is quite a troublesome predicament indeed..." said Kenshiro to Sherman and Ain, as he scratched his chin, his eyes set on the back of the Vice Admiral. Feeling the intense gaze of the pirate, Julius finally moved, merely side stepping, glancing at Kenshiro from the corner of his eye. "You're-" Without leaving time for his sentence to be completed, Kenshiro's black blade was being swung towards Julius's neck, not even the air itself reacted to his incredible speed. His eyes bloodlusted, his presence barely capable of being sensed, Kenshiro aimed for an immediate kill. Mere inches from the Vice Admiral's neck, a strange dark energy formed around Julius's body, which forcefully repelled Kenshiro's strike, and the pirate himself back quite a distance with great power. "What?!" Kenshiro was flung several meters away, recovering his balance as he stared at the pitch black aura releasing from Julius's body. "Haki?...No...", muttered Kenshiro. Julius kept his arms crossed, looking down on the pirate's and criminals, as if projecting his superiority. The marines couldn't even react to what transpired, only finally catching on once Kenshiro landed a few meters away. "Huh...you hide your presence very well. You aimed straight for a vital spot without a second of hesitation...quite the "killer" we got here." Julius scoffed. "Still...it's not enough," he said, motioning his head sideways, directing his voice to Kenshiro, Sherman and Ain. Ain didn’t seem surprised, or bothered by what had just transpired. At this point, she knew Kenshiro was the type of man to pull things like that. This brought a smile to her face, in a rather odd moment, where they were all cornered by Marines. Her gaze turned to the group of excited marines, and she rose her arm to shoulder-level, her axe pointed straight at them. "Your high-spirits are admirable but will they be enough?" Placing the weapon on her back, she squatted down and exploded upwards, finding herself almost directly on top of the squadron. Inhaling loudly, Ain felt her torso fill up with hot air. "Iblis." she thought to herself. A sputtering sound could be heard as from her mouth, a sizable roar of flames was released. The air around the group seemed to heat up immensely almost instantly, as it neared the ground, the flames would spread out at Ain’s command, allowing no marine to escape her onslaught. As she landed on the ground, the remains of her flames still burnt the cold snow, separating Ain, Kenshiro and Julius from the others. "This is more like it." she claimed the hot air that emanated from the fire, felt familiar on her skin. Sherman on the other hand, could only gasp as Kenshiro aimed his blade at the Vice Admiral’s neck. Truly, it was faster than his eyes could register, but it surprised him even more when Julius countered the attack with almost no effort. His entire body shook vigorously, and not because of the wind but from the aura Julius seemed to emanate, and it made him instinctively move away from the man. Grabbing Otto with him instinictively, he moved away from the flames that Ain had created. It was probable that someone would follow them. Stellar Black Hole As the flames shot downwards, expelling great amounts of heat, Julius released a burst of black flames of his own from his right hand, still having his arms crossed. The black flames would form into a dome, protecting the Marine squad from the fire, as they were slowly consumed by the darkness. Julius’s “flames” weren’t actual flames, they weren’t hot, nor they burned. His dark energy consumed and destroyed. “Hmm...nice strategy. Separating myself from my subordinate. However, that is your first mistake. Attempting to take me on, pirates...” he said as he lowered his arms to his side, puffing out his chest, flexing his entire upper body. Kenshiro turned to Ain, as he observed with the corner of his eye as Sherman and Otto got further from them. “Hey, miss flame-on. You’re serious about taking this guy on, huh?” He put his palm to his forehead, as he groaned slightly. “Man, why can’t things go smoothly for once? I gotta start listening to what my horoscope says...” As Kenshiro was talking, Julius took a step forward, and suddenly vanished from his position, only a trail of snow was left in his previous standing spot. Kenshiro’s sixth sense picked up Julius’s insane burst of speed, as the large man appeared right in the middle of both pirates. “Soru? That’s not it, either!” Kenshiro thought for a moment, swinging his sword in order to react to Julius launching an uppercut at him. Barely being able to block with his Haki coated sword, Kenshiro was still launched upwards by Julius’s mighty blow, as the Vice Admiral’s strength and speed was too great for Kenshiro to properly defend against in that specific moment. Julius’s advanced Haki also managed to bypass Kenshiro’s own, feeling as a shockwave hit his stomach even though he blocked with his sword. As he was shot upwards, the pirate spat some saliva, as he caught a glimpse of Julius, using that same momentum as his arm came down from the uppercut, in order to strike Ain. He pivoted his foot, and twisted his body towards her, having his arm straight, as it aimed to hit Ain in the face with the back of his fist. If she was also caught by surprise, a half prepared defense would fall short to the attack, as the force carried by his attack could probably also send her flying into a nearby mountain, and his Haki also threatened to overpower their if she didn’t coat properly, and not only damage externally, but her internal organs as well. Silent but observant, Ain watched as Julius disappeared from their sight, at speeds that not even the best of CP9 agents could hope to reach. With his raw strength, he managed to send Kenshiro flying upwards. Immediately as she witnessed this, Ain coated her axe in Busoshoku Haki, grabbing it tightly with her right hand. Then, heat began to emanate from the weapon, the air around it becoming hotter and hotter. The smell of smoke would become apparent to Julius, as Ain held the axe to her side as the man, in a swingle motion, turned his attack on Kenshiro into an attack on Ain. He twisted like a tornado, aiming a punch directly at her face. It moved the cold winds themselves as it traveled, brushing Ain's hair, which was enough for her to instinctively, react. With both hands, she placed the crimson-hued axe in front of her, causing a shockwave that pushed her back several meters when it met with Julius' fist. However, upon the man's fist making contact with her axe, he would receive at least some type of damage that the Ifrit's Flames of Fury would cause. Skidding along the ground, Ain's axe, still heated up, melted the snow around her, and she stabbed the weapon on the land to stop herself from flying back. "You sure are strong, Vice Admiral." she remarked. Her axe returned to its normal form, and she twirled it around her fingers with great mastery. "However," she stopped the axe's movements, holding the weapon's hilt tightly. "I don't intend to lose." Ain said, as she took a deep-rooted stance. She rose the axe above her head, before swinging it down with all her might. The result was an air slash of sizable proportions, expanding as it closed down on Julius, with the speed of a wolf chasing its prey. It tore through the ground, splitting a path between the snow. Although this attack carried great strength, its real purpose was to distract Julius long enough for Kenshiro to regain ground. Still prepared for anything that could happen, Ain crouched slightly, with her axe in her right, viewing the Marine and his subordinates with wary eyes. Julius shook his hand as he observed Ain. Her flames had left a spicy feeling on his hand, though shortly after, Darkness enveloped it, though not that of Busoshoku Haki. Suddenly, the slight burn mark on his hand was gone. "Heh!" he chuckled. "Got to be careful with this one." He watched as the pirate declared her will to win, and launched a powerful air blade that was tearing the ground apart, pushing away the snow as it got closer, getting larger and stronger. However, Julius's senses weren't just focused on Ain, as he glanced upwards slightly towards Kenshiro. Forcing himself to stop reeling from the force of Julius's strike, by using Geppo, Kenshiro propelled himself downwards, grasping his blade tightly, his arms bulging, as he, as well, launched a deadly air blade towards Julius. "Dance of the Wind Spirit: Crimson Blade!" A powerful, crimson colored slash closed in at astonishing speeds, pushing away the cold winds as it aimed to rip the Vice Admiral's body apart. However, another slash closed in from behind Julius! One of the techniques of the Ittou Tenchi-Ryu, the ability to control air slashes in various, unorthodox ways. Julius quickly glanced to his sides, and above. He hunched slightly, and tightened his arms while they were covered in Busoshoku, alongside his head. Straightening himself, Julius intercepted the two slashes to his sides with his forearms, producing sparks after the impact, and intercepted the one from above with his Haki coated head. Bulging his muscles even more, Julius extended his arms outwards with great force, scattering the slashes into thousands of bright colored lights, doing the same moments later to the one above. "Nice attacks," Julius commented. "This bastard. He could've dodged, but no. He wanted to show us how far he is compared to us...Cheeky bastard!" Kenshiro continued downwards, finally landing on the ground, standing on the side opposite to Ain's. Julius looked over to Ain, and then to Kenshiro. "Well, is that all?" "Hmpf, as if..." Kenshiro glanced at Ain briefly, signaling her to capitalize on his attack. Suddenly, Kenshiro seemed as if he had multiplied, as dozens of him began materializing in the surrounding area. They were all walking calmly, swinging the sword around in a pattern. Julius squinted, "You have quite the impressive speed young man! To think you can produce these realistic afterimage clones with your speed!" "However..." Julius crossed his arms above his head, layering them and parts of his body in his Busoshoku, as a rain fall of air blades rained down on Julius. As they reached his body, the blades would fail to even scratch the man's Haki coated body, though they came down in such proportions it seemed in prevented him from moving. During his clone spectacle, he had shown Ain a single spot, a spot where the hail of blades wouldn't fall, where she could perform her attack. In order to aid in this, the clones also shot dozens of air slashes vertically towards Julius, completely enveloping the Marine, as he awaited for Ain to perform her own attack. That glance. That sneakier then usual (surprisingly) look in Kenshiro's eyes was enough for Ain to understand. She knew that she could not beat Julius on her own from the second the fight started, although his most recent display made that more evident. With relative ease, Julius blocked not one but virtually every move Kenshiro had thrown out. When Kenshiro and his clones released a barrage of air slashes, all converging upon Julius' location like an eagle swooping its prey, Ain noticed a very specific path; a point where the air blades would not hit, and it was enough to set her own attack in motion. The air around Ain, once more became steadily hotter. From her right arm's pores, heat emanated, until the entirety of it was completely engulfed in flames. Her arm then grew in size, and would appear to gain a different shape. A claw. Akin to that of a wild predator formed amidst the flames. With a single step, Ain engaged her leg muscles, and covered the distance between her and Julius. She flew towards him like a bullet, with her right, fiery arm cocked back. In an instant, she was up in his face, and carrying all that previous momentum, she swung her fist forward, melting the snow around the duo as it did so. Were Julius to react to this, he would feel the intense heat emanating from her fist, followed along by the sheer strength of her punch, which would not only leave him with severe burns, but shatter his bones. It would prove difficult, even if he used Haki, as even though it wasn't noticeable. Her claw was covered by the life-armor that reigned in the New World. Fight Fire With Fire (And Science) “''Guess I’m stuck with the puppy and the nerd, this should be fun!''” Anysia remarked, following after the man and the dog as the ran from the flames created by Ain. “Hey! You two! I’d advise you stop where you are! I’m not in the mood to chase after you!” Anysia barked to the men, closing in on them as they ran at a less than fast pace compared to her speeds, hoping they would heed her warnings and halt in there escape. "Oh, bollocks!" Sherman stated, turning around, his movements akin to those of a faulty robot. Whether it was the cold or his nerves was unknown. "Do we really have to fight ma'am? I mean we're all human...right?" he said, forcing a smile. Category:Lemasters30 Category:BQD Category:Role-Plays Category:KontonMan